Lasting machine



m a c 7 l ed 8 I D m 0 m? 2 I ezozm l M F l i .wd V Z April 11, 1950 E. A. HOLMGREN LASTING MACHINE Filed March 3, 1947 Patented Apr. 11, 1950 LASTING MACHINE Eric A. Holmgren, deceased, late of Beverly, Mass.,

by Gertrude A. Holmgren, administratrix, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 3, 1947, Serial No. 731,980

15 Claims.

This invention relates to lasting machines, and has more particular reference to the positioning of shoes in such machines. The invention is herein shown as applied to a toe-lasting machine which may be assumed to be constructed generally as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,380,407, granted on July 31, 1945 on an application of P. E. Burbys, but it is to be understood that it is not thus limited in its applicability.

The machine shown in the above-mentioned Letters Patent is provided with means for positioning a shoe of the Goodyear welt type heightwise in the machine by engaging the bottom face of the forepart of the insole and for positioning it in other respects by engaging the inner face of an upstanding lip on the insole. A different construction for positioning such a shoe in the same manner is shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,385,414, granted on September 25, 1945 on an application of E. A. Holmgrens. Some shoes of that type, however, are made with so-called shoulder-channeled insoles which have no upstanding lips, each insole being provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face and against which the marginal portion of the upper is lasted and with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder for use in the welt-attaching operation, this channel being nearly closed in the normal condition of the insole. It is an object of this invention to provide means whereby shoes of that kind may be readily positioned in proper relation to toe-lasting means. To this end, the construc-- tion herein shown comprises means such as disclosed in the last-mentioned Letters Patent for positioning a shoe heightwise by engaging the bottom face of the forepart of the insole, and a device formed to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the insole into its in- .clined channel to position the shoe in other respects. To facilitate entrance of this device into the partially closed inclined channel when the shoe is presented to the machine, it is, as illustrated. preferably so formed as to extend into the channel in a location confined substantially to the ftioning the shoe heightwise and is yieldingly movable by the shoe as the shoe is thereafter moved heightwise toward such positioning means. Also included in the combination shown is another device arranged to engage at the end and the sides of the toe the portion of the insole located between its shoulder and its inclined channel to assist in holding the margin of the insole close to the bottom of the last. The device which enters the channel is supported by this other device and is yieldingly movable relatively to it by pressure of the shoe thereon, both devices being further yielding movable by the shoe until the latter engages the means for positioning it heightwise.

The novel features of the invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of parts provided for purposes of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing the above parts in assembled relation to portions of the structure shown in the last-mentioned Letters Patent, with the parts as they appear in relation to a shoe, shown diagrammatically, when the shoe is initially presented to the machine;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section showing the parts as they appear in relation to the shoe at the time when toe-lasting wipers of the lasting machine are holding the upper in lasted position;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in plan and partly in section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3, but showing the shoe before the wipers have acted thereon; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a portion of a shoulder-channeled insole on a larger scale than in Fig. 3. I 1

As illustrated in Fig. 5, a shoulder-channeled insole is provided with a shoulder a terminating at the bottom face I) of the insole for engagement with the lasting margin of the upper, i. e., the marginal portion of the upper extending beyond the extreme edge of the insole. This shoulder results from the removal of a strip of material along the edge of the insole. In addition, there is provided along the marginal portion of the insole, farther inwardly than the shoulder, a channel a for use in the welt-attaching operation, this channel being inclined, i. e., extending at an oblique angle to the bottom face of the insole and being nearly closed normally. A shoe having an insole of this kind may. as herein shown, be properly positioned heightwise in a toe-lasting machine by means constructed as disclosed in the last-mentioned Letters Patent, comprising three pins 2 arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the insole in locations farther inwardly than the channel 0, one of the pins engaging it near the end of the toe and the others farther from the end of the toe in locations spaced apart widthwise of the shoe. The pins thus position the shoe bodily heightwise and with respect to any tipping movement. The pins are mounted in a block 4 supported by a holder 6 relatively to which the block is adjustable along arcuate guideways about an axis extending widthwise of the shoe by means of a rack bar 8 operated by a screw H1. The shoe is clamped against the pins 2 at the beginning of the operation of the machine by upward movement of a toe rest l2, after which toe-embracing wipers, one of which is shown at l4, wipe the toe end of the upper heightwise of the last and then inwardly over the insole against the shoulder a, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

In the construction shown there is further provided a plate US which is in some respects similar to the plate 40 shown in the above-mentioned Letters Patent No. 2,385,414 and is similarly controlled, but serves a different purpose. This plate has a rim I8 extending from it in opposite directions for engagement with the insoles of right and left shoes on the portions of the insoles located between their shoulders a and their channels 0. The rim is so shaped as to engage that portion of the insole of a right shoe around the end and along the sides of the toe close to the edge of the shoulder a and, when inverted, similarly to engage the insole of a left shoe. Extending through the plate in the proper locations are three holes to receive the pins 2 and to permit the plate to be mounted on the pins. Accordingly, the pins determine the position of the plate lengthwise and laterally. The plate is, however, loose enough on the pins to permit it to tip and to move bodily in directions heightwise of the shoe in such manner as to adjust itself to the shoe. In engagement with the top of the plate are three pins 22 which are mounted in the block 4 and are pressed downwardly by springs 24, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, mounted in hollow enlarged portions of the pins. These enlarged portions serve by engagement with the block 4 to prevent the pins from falling when there is no plate I6 in the machine. The spring-pressed pins urge the plate downwardly and cause its rim I8 to press on the insole in the location above described when the shoe is clamped against the pins 2 by the toe rest l2. The plate, therefore, serves to hold the marginal portion of the insole on the bottom of the last around the end and along the sides of the toe. When there is no shoe in the machine the plate I6 is prevented from falling by a latch member 26 extending downwardly through an opening 28 (Figs. 1 and 4) in the plate. The latch member extends upwardly into a cylindrical bore 30 in the block 4 and has near its upper end an annular enlargement 32 with an upwardly and downwardly convex outer face engaging the wall of the bore 30 to guide the member for forward and rearward swinging movements. The latch member is supported on the inner forked end of a slide 34, which is movable in forward and rearward directions in the block 4, by a pin 36 lying in vertical slots in the forks of the slide. It is held down in the position thus determined by a spring 38 which is mounted within it and presses upwardly against a movable pin 40 engaging the block 4 at the upper end of the bore 30. A spring 42 tends to move the slide 34 in a rearward direction and thereby holds thev latch member normally in operative position with a lip 44 (Fig. 4) on its lower end under the plate l6. When it is desired to remove the plate in order to invert it or to substitute a different plate, the operator swings the latch member forwardly into position to clear the plate by forward movement of the slide 34. For this purpose a stem 46 extending forwardly from the slide has fast on its front end a knob 48. When there is no shoe in the machine the plate [6 is held by the springs 24 in the position determined by the latch member 26 with the lower edge of its rim [8 at a lower level than the lower ends of the pins 2, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Further to position the shoe, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a plate 50 having on one end thereof a lip 52 arranged to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the insole into the inclined channel 0. To

, facilitate entrance of the lip into the channel when the shoe is presented to the machine by the operator, it is of such extent as to confine it substantially to engagement with the insole at the end of the toe, but it is curved widthwise of the shoe similarly to the channel far enough to render it effective to position the extreme toe end of the shoe laterally while positioning the shoe as a whole lengthwise. The operator can further determine by sight, with sufficient accuracy, the proper relation of the sides of the forepart of the shoe beyond the toe to the shoe-positioning means. The plate 56 is provided with three holes 54 to permit it to be mounted on the pins 2 below the plate l6, so that the pins determine its position lengthwise and laterally, the holes being large enough to permit it to tip relatively to the pins. There is also another hole 55 in the plate to provide clearance for the lower end of the latch 26. Fast on that end portion of the plate 50 which is farthest from the end of the toe is an angular clip 56 arranged to extend upwardly through a slot 58 in the plate I6 and over the top of this plate. The plate 50 is, therefore, normally supported by the plate I6 in an inclined relation thereto and to the pins 2, as illustrated in Fig. 2, with its lip 52 positioned farther downward than the rim 18 of the plate [6. This enables the operator readily to manipulate the shoe in such manner as to cause the lip to enter the channel in the insole in initially presenting the shoe to the machine. Further to facilitate such presentation of the shoe, the plate 56 is held yieldingly in its inclined position by a spring 60 coiled about pins 62 (Fig. 4) in its opposite sides and bearing on the lower face of the plate l6. It will be observed that when the plate 50 is in its initial position it is disengaged from that pin '2 which is nearest the end of the toe, but it is still mounted on the other two pins which position it lengthwise and laterally and prevent its detachment from the plate l6. tt will be evident that both plates l6 and 50 are released simultaneously by the latch 26 to permit their removal from the machine. Fast on the lower face of the plate 50 at the end thereof which is farthest from the end of the toe is a bar 64 arranged to engage the bottom face of the insole to assist in steadying the shoe with respect to lateral tipping movement before the shoe is engaged by the lower ends of the pins 2.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the operator presents a shoe to the machine when the plate 50 is positioned as shown in Fig. 2 and causes the lip 52 to enter the channel 0 of the insole at the end of the toe. To facilitate such entrance of the lip into the partially closed channel the heel end of the shoe may first be positioned lower than indicated by Fig. 2, after which it may be swung upwardly to bring the bottom of the insole into engagement with the bar 64 as illustrated. After having properly presented the shoe the operator starts the machine, whereupon the shoe is moved upwardly by the toe rest l2 into engagement with the pins 2 and is clamped against the pins. By such upward movement of the shoe the plate is swung upwardly against the resistance of the spring until the rim [8 of the plate 16 bears on the portion of the insole located between its shoulder a and the channel 0 about the end and along the sides of the toe, and both plates 50 and 16 are thereafter moved upwardly against the resistance of the spring-pressed pins 22 until the insole engages the pins 2. Thereafter the wipers I 4 are operated to last the toe end of the shoe, wiping the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the insole against the shoulder a as illustrated in L Fig. 3. In the lasting operation the rim I8 of the plate l6 assists by its pressure on the insole around the end and along the sides of the toe in preventing the margin of th insole from being displaced relatively to the bottom of the last.

Since the sole of a turn shoe is of essentially the same construction as the shoulder-channeled insole herein described, and since therefore shoepositioning means such as herein shown might well be used for positioning turn shoes, the term tom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with a partially closed inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member farther inwardly from its edge than said channel to determine the position of the toe end of the shoe heightwise and with respect to tipping movement in any direction, and additional means constructed and arranged to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the sole memher and to enter said inclined channel otherwise to position the shoe when it is initially presented to the machine.

2. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with a partially closed inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member to determine the position of the toe end of the shoe heightwise and with respect to tipping movement in any direction, and a device constructed and arrange to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the sole member and to enter said inclined channel in a location confined substantially to the end of the toe otherwise to position the shoe when it is initially presented to the machine.

3. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face i'or engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with a partially closed inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member to determine the position of the toe end of the shoe heightwise and. with respect to tipping movement in any direction, and a device having a lip arranged to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the sole member and to'enter said inclined channel in a location confined substantially to the end of the toe to position the shoe lengthwise when it is initially presented to the machine, said lip being curved widthwise of the shoe to position its toe and also laterally.

4. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with a partially closed inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of a plurality of pins arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member in locations farther inwardly from its edge than said channel to position the shoe heightwise in the machine, and a device constructed and arranged to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the sole member into said inclined channel at the end only of the toe otherwise to position the shoe.

5. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with a partially closed inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member to determine the position of the toe end of the shoe heightwise and with respect to tipping movement in any direction, and a device formed to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the sole member into said inclined channel otherwise to position the shoe, said device being arranged to engage the sole member when the shoe is initially presented to the machine and being thereafter movable by the shoe until the sole member engages said heightwise positioning means.

- 6. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with a partially closed inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member to determine the position of the toe end of the shoe heightwise and with respect to tipping movement in any direction, a device constructed and arranged to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the sole member and to enter said inclined channel in a location confined substantially to the end of the toe otherwise to position the shoe when it is initially presented to the machine, and means for holding said device initially in inclined relation to said heightwise positioning means for engagement with the sole member at the end of the toe before the sole member is engaged by said positioning means, the device being thereafter movable by the shoe untilthe sole member engages said positioning means.

7. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with a partially closed inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of a plurality of pins arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member in locations farther inwardly from its edge than said channel to position the shoe heightwise in the machine, and a device constructed and arranged to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the sole memher into said inclined channel at the end only of the toe otherwise to position the shoe, said device being controlled by said pins and being movable by the shoe relatively to the pins to permit the shoe to be moved into engagement with the pins after engagement of the device with the sole member.

8. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of

means constructed and arranged to extend into said inclined channel for positioning the shoe, and additional means arranged to engage the portion of the sole member located between its shoulder and its inclined channel to press that portion of the sole member on the bottom of the last throughout the toe-lasting operation.

9. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and. with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means constructed and arranged to extend into said inclined channel in a location confined substantially to the end of the toe for positioning the shoe, and additional means arranged to engage the portion of the sole member located between its shoulder and its inclined channel about the end and along the sides of the toe to press that portion of the sole member on the bottom of the last throughout the toe-lasting operation.

10. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of a device constructed and arranged to extend into said inclined channel for positioning the shoe, and another device for engaging the portion of the sole member located between its shoulder and its inclined channel to press that portion of the sole member on the bottom of the last, said first-named device being arranged to engage the sole member before the latter engages said other device and being thereafter movable by the shoe upon movement of the shoe heightwise toward said other device.

11. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member pro- 8 vided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of a device constructed and arranged to extend in oblique angular relation to the bottom face of the sole member into said inclined channel in a location confined substantially to the end of the toe for positioning the shoe, another device arranged to engage the portion of the sole member located between its shoulder and its inclined channel about the end and along the sides of the toe to press that portion of the sole member on the bottom of the last, and spring means for holding said first-named device initially in inclined relation to said other device for engagement with the sole member at the end of the toe before the sole member is engaged by said other device, said spring means being yieldable to permit the shoe to be moved thereafter toward said other device.

12. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member farther inwardly from its edge than said channel to position the shoe heightwise in the machine, additional means constructed and arranged to extend into said inclined channel otherwise to position the shoe, and still other means for engaging the portion of the sole member located between its shoulder and its inclined channel to press that portion of the sole member on the bottom of the last throughout the toe-lasting operation.

13. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member farther inwardly from its edge than said channel to position the shoe heightwise in the machine, a device constructed and arranged to extend into said inclined channel otherwise to position the shoe, and another device for engaging the portion of the sole member located between its shoulder and its inclined channel to press that portion of the sole member on the bottom of the last, said firstnamed device being movable by the shoe until the sole member engages said other device and both said devices being thereafter movable by the shoe until the sole member engages said heightwise positioning means.

14. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of means arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member farther inwardly from its edge than said channel to position the shoe heightwise in the machine, a device constructed and arranged to extend into said inclined channel otherwise to position the shoe, another device for engaging the portion of the sole member located between its shoulder and its inclined channel to press that portion of the sole member on the bottom of the last, spring means against the resistance of which said first-named device is movable by the shoe until the sole member engages said other device, and additional spring means against the resistance of which both said devices are movable thereafter by the shoe until the sole member engages said heightwise positioning means.

15. In a lasting machine, the combination with means for lasting the toe end of a shoe of the type having a shoulder-channeled sole member provided with a shoulder terminating at its bottom face for engaging the lasting margin of the upper and with an inclined channel located farther inwardly from its edge than said shoulder, of a plurality of pins arranged to engage the bottom face of the forepart of the sole member in locations farther inwardly from its edge than said channel to position the shoe heightwise in the machine, a device constructed and arranged to extend into said inclined channel otherwise to position the shoe, and another device for engaging REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,010,394 C. F. Pym Nov. 28, 1911 1,085,400 Brown Jan. 27, 1914 1,138,855 Ellis May 11, 1915 1,331,616 Brock Feb. 24, 1920 1,968,167 A. F. Pym July 31, 1934 2,385,414 Holmgren Sept. 25, 1945 

